The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the federal government to establish a commission within 30 days to investigate blasphemy-related cases, with a mandate to complete its inquiry within four months.
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan issued the order during the hearing of a case linked to the disappearance of Komal Ismail, whose identity card was found to be blocked, with four SIMs registered under her name—none of which have been active since November. The National Cybercrimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) informed the court that Komal remains in Pakistan and has been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) as search efforts continue.
Justice Khan expressed concern over Komal’s safety and questioned authorities about measures being taken to protect her. The court was also informed that WhatsApp data had been requested for certain numbers, but cellular companies stated such data is not retained, and call detail records (CDRs) are only preserved for one year.
The judge suggested that if necessary, the commission could seek help from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to obtain critical information, stressing the gravity of the matter and the risks to human life.
The court also examined related allegations, including claims from Nek Muhammad that he was entrapped by Iman. Investigators found no communication evidence but did extract five photos from Nek Muhammad’s phone, which led to the case being filed. Advocate Hadi Ali Chatha pointed out that the complainant, Shiraz Farooqi, had been in contact with the accused a week prior—an allegation Farooqi denied in court.
After considering all arguments, Justice Khan concluded that the formation of a commission was justified. The federal government has been instructed to constitute it within a month, with a provision to extend its deadline upon request if more time is needed.
If you happen to find yourself in the Southern Hemisphere with binoculars and a good view of the night sky on a dark and clear summer night, you might just be able to spot the Sculptor galaxy. And if your eyes were prisms that could separate light into the thousands of colors making it up, then congratulations: After hours of staring, you could have recreated the newest image of one of the nearest neighbors to our Milky Way galaxy.
This is not just another stunningly gorgeous picture of a nearby galaxy. Because it reveals the type of light coming from each location in the galaxy, this image of the Sculptor galaxy is a treasure trove of information that astronomers around the world cannot wait to pick apart.
As an astronomy Ph.D. student at Ohio State University, I (Rebecca) am one of the lucky people who gets to stare at this image for hours every day, alongside my adviser (Adam), discovering meaning behind the beauty everyone can appreciate.
Creating the image
The Sculptor galaxy lies 11 million light-years from the Milky Way. This may sound unfathomably far, but it actually makes Sculptor one of the closest galaxies to Earth.
For this reason, Sculptor has been the primary target for many observations. In 2022, an international team of scientists observed Sculptor with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, MUSE, on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, and publicly released the data this June.
Most astronomical observations obtain either an image of a single color of light – for example, red or blue – or a spectrum, which splits the light coming from the whole galaxy into many different colors.
MUSE, conveniently, does both, producing a spectrum at every location it observes. One observation creates thousands of images in thousands of colors, each tracing the critical components that make up the galaxy: stars, dust and gas.
It may look like only one picture, but this image of Sculptor is actually over 100 individual observations and 8 million individual spectra, painstakingly stitched together to reveal millions of stars all in one cohesive galaxy.
Scientific significance
The light associated with the stars in Sculptor is colored white, and gas made up of charged particles is colored red. The largest concentration of both is found in the spiral arms. At the very center of the galaxy is a nuclear starburst: a region of extreme star formation that is blowing material out of the galaxy.
There is even information in the absence of light. Dust obscures light emitted from behind it, creating a shadow effect called dust lanes. Tracing these dust lanes reveals the cold, dense material that exists between stars. Scientists believe this dark material is the fuel that will form the next generation of stars.
Complex gaseous nebulae (red) surround young and massive stars (white) in this zoom-in of a cluster of star-forming regions. European Southern Observatory/VLT/MUSE
There is a lot to look at in this image, but the subject of my work and what I find most interesting is the gas illuminated in red. In these star-forming regions, young and massive stars excite the gas around them, which then glows with a specific color to reveal the chemical makeup and physical conditions of the gas.
This image represents one of the first times that astronomers have obtained images of thousands of star-forming regions at this impressive level of detail. A component of our team’s research uses the data from MUSE to understand how these regions are structured and how they interact with the surrounding galaxy.
By meticulously piecing all of this information together, astronomers can use this image to learn more about the formation and evolution of stars across the universe.
Our first meeting was a bit awkward. One of us is an archaeologist who studies how past peoples interacted with their environments. Two of us are geophysicists who investigate interactions between solar activity and Earth’s magnetic field.
When we first got together, we wondered whether our unconventional project, linking space weather and human behavior, could actually bridge such a vast disciplinary divide. Now, two years on, we believe the payoffs – personal, professional and scientific – were well worth the initial discomfort.
Our collaboration, which culminated in a recent paper in the journal Science Advances, began with a single question: What happened to life on Earth when the planet’s magnetic field nearly collapsed roughly 41,000 years ago?
Weirdness when Earth’s magnetic shield falters
This near-collapse is known as the Laschamps Excursion, a brief but extreme geomagnetic event named for the volcanic fields in France where it was first identified. At the time of the Laschamps Excursion, near the end of the Pleistocene epoch, Earth’s magnetic poles didn’t reverse as they do every few hundred thousand years. Instead, they wandered, erratically and rapidly, over thousands of miles. At the same time, the strength of the magnetic field dropped to less than 10% of its modern day intensity.
So, instead of behaving like a stable bar magnet – a dipole – as it usually does, the Earth’s magnetic field fractured into multiple weak poles across the planet. As a result, the protective force field scientists call the magnetosphere became distorted and leaky.
The magnetosphere normally deflects much of the solar wind and harmful ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise reach Earth’s surface.
So, during the Laschamps Excursion when the magnetosphere broke down, our models suggest a number of near-Earth effects. While there is still work to be done to precisely characterize these effects, we do know they included auroras – normally seen only in skies near the poles as the Northern Lights or Southern Lights – wandering toward the equator, and significantly higher-than-present-day doses of harmful solar radiation.
The skies 41,000 years ago may have been both spectacular and threatening. When we realized this, we two geophysicists wanted to know whether this could have affected people living at the time.
The archaeologist’s answer was absolutely.
Human responses to ancient space weather
For people on the ground at that time, auroras may have been the most immediate and striking effect, perhaps inspiring awe, fear, ritual behavior or something else entirely. But the archaeological record is notoriously limited in its ability to capture these kinds of cognitive or emotional responses.
Researchers are on firmer ground when it comes to the physiological impacts of increased UV radiation. With the weakened magnetic field, more harmful radiation would have reached Earth’s surface, elevating risk of sunburn, eye damage, birth defects, and other health issues.
In response, people may have adopted practical measures: spending more time in caves, producing tailored clothing for better coverage, or applying mineral pigment “sunscreen” made of ochre to their skin. As we describe in our recent paper, the frequency of these behaviors indeed appears to have increased across parts of Europe, where effects of the Laschamps Excursion were pronounced and prolonged.
At this time, both Neanderthals and members of our species, Homo sapiens, were living in Europe, though their geographic distributions likely overlapped only in certain regions. The archaeological record suggests that different populations exhibited distinct approaches to environmental challenges, with some groups perhaps more reliant on shelter or material culture for protection.
Importantly, we’re not suggesting that space weather alone caused an increase in these behaviors or, certainly, that the Laschamps caused Neanderthals to go extinct, which is one misinterpretation of our research. But it could have been a contributing factor – an invisible but powerful force that influenced innovation and adaptability.
Cross-discipline collaboration
Collaborating across such a disciplinary gap was, at first, daunting. But it turned out to be deeply rewarding.
Archaeologists are used to reconstructing now-invisible phenomena like climate. We can’t measure past temperatures or precipitation directly, but they’ve left traces for us to interpret if we know where and how to look.
An artistic rendering of how far into lower latitudes the aurora might have been visible during the Laschamps Excursion. Maximilian Schanner (GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany)
But even archaeologists who’ve spent years studying the effects of climate on past behaviors and technologies may not have considered the effects of the geomagnetic field and space weather. These effects, too, are invisible, powerful and best understood through indirect evidence and modeling. Archaeologists can treat space weather as a vital component of Earth’s environmental history and future forecasting.
Likewise, geophysicists, who typically work with large datasets, models and simulations, may not always engage with some of the stakes of space weather. Archaeology adds a human dimension to the science. It reminds us that the effects of space weather don’t stop at the ionosphere. They can ripple down into the lived experiences of people on the ground, influencing how they adapt, create and survive.
The Laschamps Excursion wasn’t a fluke or a one-off. Similar disruptions of Earth’s magnetic field have happened before and will happen again. Understanding how ancient humans responded can provide insight into how future events might affect our world – and perhaps even help us prepare.
Our unconventional collaboration has shown us how much we can learn, how our perspective changes, when we cross disciplinary boundaries. Space may be vast, but it connects us all. And sometimes, building a bridge between Earth and space starts with the smallest things, such as ochre, or a coat, or even sunscreen.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Raven Garvey, University of Michigan; Agnit Mukhopadhyay, University of Michigan, and Sanja Panovska, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences
Read more:
Agnit Mukhopadhyay has received funding from NASA Science Mission Directorate and the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School.
Raven Garvey and Sanja Panovska do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Gaza: 875 people confirmed dead trying to source food in recent weeks UN News
Nearly 900 killed in Gaza trying to get food: UN Dawn
Israel and the occupied territories: Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah receives unprecedented influx of fatalities International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Israeli officials signaling they want UN to remain key Gaza aid channel — WFP deputy The Times of Israel
Video shows Palestinians caught in gunfire near GHF aid hub in Gaza Arab News
Israel says it has bombed Syrian government forces around Suweida, as they entered the predominantly Druze city following two days of deadly sectarian clashes.
About 100 people have reportedly been killed since the fighting between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes erupted on Sunday.
Syria’s defence minister announced a ceasefire in Suweida on Tuesday morning, saying an agreement had been reached with local dignitaries for security forces to deploy there. However, one Druze spiritual leader urged local fighters to resist.
Later, Israel’s prime minister said he had ordered strikes on forces and weapons in the Suweida area because the government “intended to use [them] against the Druze”.
Benjamin Netanyahu said he was committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria because of their deep ties to those living in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
This is the first time that Syrian government forces have been deployed to Suweida since Islamist-led rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Minority communities are suspicious of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government despite his pledges to protect them, and until now the province of Suweida had remained largely under the control of Druze militias which resisted calls to join the security forces.
The fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze militias in Suweida was reportedly sparked by the robbery and abduction of a Druze merchant on the highway to Damascus last Friday.
On Sunday, armed Druze fighters reportedly encircled and later seized the city’s al-Maqwas neighbourhood, which is inhabited by Bedouin.
The clashes soon spread into other parts of Suweida province, with tribesmen reportedly launching attacks on Druze towns and villages on the city’s outskirts.
As the death toll reached 30, Syria’s interior ministry announced that its forces and those of the defence ministry would intervene and impose order, saying the “dangerous escalation comes in light of the absence of relevant official institutions”.
There was a brief period of calm on Sunday night, after mediation between Bedouin and Druze leaders resulted in the release of people kidnapped by both sides, according to activist-run news outlet Suwayda 24.
But on Monday, it said the fighting had resumed in the countryside west of the city after drones attacked villages at the same time as government forces deployed in nearby areas of eastern Deraa province.
Later, Suwayda 24 reported that villages in the area were also hit by mortar fire and that dozens of dead and wounded had been brought to local hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had struck several government tanks to prevent them advancing towards Suweida city. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were a “clear warning to the Syrian regime”.
On Monday evening, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported that 99 people had been killed, including 60 Druze, including four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security forces personnel.
The defence ministry said 18 security personnel had been killed during attacks on military points by what it called “outlaw groups”.
On Tuesday morning, the Druze spiritual leadership said they had agreed to allow government forces to enter Suweida province in order to end the bloodshed. They also called on all armed groups there to co-operate and hand over their weapons.
But hours later, influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri posted a video called on Druze fighters to “resis[t] this brutal campaign by all available means”, accusing government forces of bombarding Suweida city in violation of a ceasefire agreement.
As security forces entered the city, Defence Minister Maj Gen Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a “complete ceasefire”, saying an agreement had been reached with “notables and dignitaries”.
“Suweida neighbourhoods will be under the control of Internal Security Forces as soon as combing operations are completed in order to control the chaos, secure return of residents to their houses,” he added.
Early on Tuesday afternoon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had directed the Israeli military to immediately attack Syrian forces and weaponry sent to the Suweida area “that the regime intended to use against the Druze”.
They accused the Syrian government of contravening “the demilitarisation policy they decided on” and of endangering Israel by deploying forces there.
“Israel is committed to preventing harm being inflicted on the Druze in Syria, owing to the deep covenant of blood with our Druze citizens in Israel and their historical and familial link to the Druze in Syria,” they added.
The Syrian Observatory shared a video that it said showed at least one member of the security forces who was killed in an Israeli strike on a convoy.
There was no immediate response from the Syrian government.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu warned that he would not “tolerate any threat” to Syria’s Druze and demanded the complete demilitarisation of Suweida and two other southern provinces,
He said Israel saw interim President Sharaa’s Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a threat. HTS is a former al-Qaeda affiliate that is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN and UK, but no longer the US.
The Israeli military has already carried out hundreds of strikes across Syria to destroy the country’s military assets since the fall of the Assad regime.
And it has sent troops into the UN-monitored demilitarised buffer zone between the occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as well as several adjoining areas and the summit of Mount Hermon.
Sea levels have risen and fallen since Earth first held oceans. Until recently, scientists could only measure these shifts over million-year increments.
Now, researchers from Utrecht, the UK, and the United States have mapped sea level changes across much shorter timeframes – spanning thousands of years and covering the last 540 million years.
Published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, the study combines paleoclimate data, sediment records, and orbital modeling.
“Taking these rapid sea level variations into account is important for understanding the structure of the subsurface and the applications to green energy resources,” said Dr. Douwe van der Meer, guest researcher at Utrecht University and lead author of the study.
Measuring sea level rise
Sea level changes depend on two main factors: plate tectonics and land ice. Tectonics control the shape of ocean basins. Ice determines how much water fills them.
Previously, scientists could detect 200-meter (656 feet) swings in sea level over million-year periods using fossil and rock records.
“In time steps of about a million years, you can derive an average sea level for as far back as there are fossils, about 540 million years,” said Van der Meer.
“That varied by as much as 200 meters. We suspected that sea level could go up and down enormously in much shorter periods as well, but there is not enough data to make those shorter time steps.”
Earth’s orbit affects sea level
To track faster changes, researchers used a clever method. They matched sediment records with Earth’s orbital cycles, called Milankovitch cycles, that change climate on scales of 20,000 to 400,000 years. These wobbles trigger glacial and interglacial phases, which affect sea levels.
“We see alternations, especially when the global climate is cold, and there is ice on the poles,” said Van der Meer.
“Then, the rhythmic wobbling of Earth’s spin axis creates ice ages that last only tens of thousands of years, during which the sea level can go up and down by as much as 100 meters (328 feet).”
This new approach calculated how much ice volume could change due to orbital variations. Then, the researchers estimated how those changes would affect sea level during the last 540 million years.
Greenhouse vs. icehouse worlds
During warm, ice-free periods like the mid-Cretaceous, sea levels stayed relatively stable. In contrast, colder times like the late Carboniferous or modern ice age showed huge sea level swings.
Modeling showed that orbital cycles in the icehouse phases could cause sea levels to shift by over 328 feet within a few thousand years.
During the Permo-Carboniferous, for example, global temperatures may have ranged from 17°C (62.6°F) during interglacials to 10°C (50°F) during glacials.
Such shifts drove large expansions and retreats of ice sheets, influencing sediment layers and fossil patterns.
Past sea level rise helps planning
Knowing when and how sea levels changed helps scientists better understand Earth’s climate and geography. These findings can also improve models for geothermal energy, hydrogen storage, and radioactive waste disposal.
“High or low sea levels, it’s all happened before in the geological past,” said Van der Meer.
Sandstone, laid down during low sea levels, makes a good reservoir for storing gases or heat. Claystone, formed during high sea levels, can seal these reservoirs. Mapping these layers globally can help in safe subsurface use.
“If we know that at a certain time global sea level was high, we also know that a relatively continuous layer of claystone would have been deposited,” said Van de Meer.
“We can use that information to create a global layer map of sand and claystone, which helps us in the safe use of the subsurface.”
Ancient sea level rise patterns
The researchers tested their new model against known sedimentary records. For the Silurian, their orbital-scale sea level variation estimates – around 230 feet – match compiled data from five paleo-continents.
Similar matches appear in Cretaceous and Devonian records, with fluctuations ranging from 50 to 230 feet.
The model shows especially large short-term sea level swings during the late Ordovician, Permo-Carboniferous, and the past few million years.
Paleogeographic reconstructions. A) Last Glacial Maximum (∼20 ka), an example of maximum glacial extent, low global mean sea level and more exposed continental shelf. As a result of changing continental ice-cover, glacio-eustasy results in changes in eustasy and flooding of continents. B) Present-Day, as example of an Interglacial with relatively high sea level. Long-term sea level reconstructions do not consider short-term changes in sea level due to orbital-scale variations. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2025)
In contrast, during the Jurassic and mid-Cretaceous, the shifts were much smaller, generally under 164 feet.
Some older reconstructions show higher variability, up to 328 feet, even during greenhouse phases. The new study argues that such large estimates may be inflated and not supported by physical models or isotope data.
Instead, this new work provides more grounded estimates using physics-based ice models, stratigraphy, and isotope geochemistry.
Future climate and geology research
This approach can help resolve long-standing questions about ancient climates, sedimentary patterns, and biodiversity changes. It also offers new tools for identifying reliable storage sites in the subsurface.
The authors suggest refining the method with non-linear models and more paleoclimate simulations. For now, their work marks a turning point in how we study ancient sea levels.
It is not just about history. It is a guide to understanding our dynamic planet.
The study is published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
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ISLAMABAD, Jul 15 (APP): The National Skills University (NSU) in Islamabad buzzed with excitement as it joined the global community in celebrating World Youth Skills Day 2025.
This year marked a decade of worldwide dedication to empowering young people with essential skills for a brighter future, with the theme “Youth Empowerment through AI and Digital Skills” resonating deeply with NSU’s mission to prepare students for the modern, tech-driven world, said a press release on Tuesday.
The highlight of the day was a powerful and inspiring keynote address by the Minister of State for Education, Ms. Wajiha Qamar, who also participated in a celebratory walk, urging young people to embrace new technologies and lead the way in shaping tomorrow.
Ms. Qamar began her address by acknowledging the profound shifts occurring in the global economy. “Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept. It is shaping the way we live, work, and imagine our futures. Our challenge and our responsibility is to ensure that Pakistan’s youth are not left watching from the sidelines,” she declared. Her words resonated strongly with the assembled students, faculty, and dignitaries, many of whom are actively involved in the university’s expanding digital skills and AI education initiatives.
Speaking with both urgency and optimism, Ms. Qamar envisioned a future where AI access is not a privilege for a select few, but a right for every learner, regardless of gender, location, or socioeconomic background. She lauded the National Skills University Islamabad’s efforts in making AI and digital tools accessible, especially to those often marginalized in the country’s educational reforms. A particularly poignant moment came with her recognition of a female civil engineering technology student from NSU, who received a cash prize for her innovative work in skills education – a powerful symbol of inclusive, future-focused education in action.
The Minister’s tribute to the university’s remarkable transformation was both personal and professional. She commended the visionary leadership of Founding Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, highlighting how a previously overlooked institutional site has been transformed into a model of excellence and ambition. “Dr. Mukhtar has not only built classrooms and laboratories, he has created a culture where practical knowledge is valued, and where skills education is treated not as second-tier, but as a national priority,” she stated. This served as a collective validation for an institution that has steadily expanded its reach through smart classrooms, hands-on training, and international partnerships.
The day’s spirit extended beyond mere ceremony, with several university staff members being recognized for their consistent contributions to advancing skills education in Pakistan. The atmosphere was one of celebration, yet also of thoughtful reflection – an understanding that preparing youth for a rapidly evolving world demands constant adaptation, sustained investment, and a steadfast commitment to ensuring no one is left behind.
As the event concluded, Ms. Qamar returned to the day’s central theme, reminding the audience that the rise of AI represents not just a technological revolution, but a human one. “What we need today is not just intelligent machines, but wise societies. We must ensure that our young people are equipped with not only the tools of innovation but the ethics of responsibility,” she affirmed.
The 2025 Emmy nominations announcement is underway
Nominees in the first two categories — reality competition program and talk series — were announced on CBS Mornings shortly before 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT.
The reality competition program category features last year’s winner The Traitors and frequent past winner RuPaul’s Drag Race alongside The Amazing Race, Survivor and Top Chef.
The talk series category, reduced to just three nominees this year, features last year’s winner The Daily Show as well as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
At 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT, nominees in more top categories will be announced via livestream by What We Do in the Shadows‘ Harvey Guillén, Running Point‘s Brenda Song and Television Academy chair Cris Abrego.
Fans can watch that announcement, live from the Wolf Theatre at the TV Academy’s Saban Media Center, on the Emmys‘ website and TV Academy’s YouTube channel.
The 77th Emmy Awards, hosted by Nate Bargatze, is set to air live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in L.A. on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The show will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Prior to the CBS ceremony, awards in the majority of the Emmys’ categories will be presented at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday, Sept. 6 and Sunday, Sept. 7.
At the 2024 Emmys, Hacks won best comedy series along with best comedy actress (Jean Smart) and writing for a comedy series; Shogun took best drama series and 17 other awards, and Baby Reindeer won best limited series and five other awards. Though it was bested by Hacks for the top prize of best comedy series, The Bear set a new record for most wins in a single season for a comedy with 11, surpassing its tally of 10 from the year before.
Read on for the 2025 Emmy nominees, which will be noted below as they’re announced live. Refresh for the latest.
Reality Competition Program
The Amazing Race RuPaul’s Drag Race Survivor Top Chef The Traitors
Talk Series
The Daily Show Jimmy Kimmel Live! The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
A passenger walks near Uber signage after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, on July 10, 2022.
David Swanson | Reuters
Baidu has struck a partnership with Uber to deploy its autonomous cars on the ride-hailing giant’s platform outside the U.S. and mainland China.
The first deployments are expected to happen in Asia and the Middle East later this year. The two companies said the multi-year partnership will see “thousands” of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles on Uber globally.
For Baidu, the move will help to internationalize its driverless car business outside of China. Uber will meanwhile gain a proven partner to take on autonomous driving rivals around the world.
After the launch, a rider requesting a trip on Uber may be given the option to hail a driverless Apollo Go car, the two companies said.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for more.
